Related

Multi-tier security has been put in place for the fourth phase of Assembly elections to 42 constituencies to be held in Bihar on Monday.
Around 10.04 crore voters will be eligible to exercise their franchise to decide the fate of 568 candidates, including 58 women.

Multi-tier security has been put in place for the fourth phase of Assembly elections to 42 constituencies to be held in Bihar on Monday.

Around 10.04 crore voters will be eligible to exercise their franchise to decide the fate of 568 candidates, including 58 women.

Senior IAS officer Afzal Amanullah's wife Parveen Amanullah is contesting on a JD(U) ticket from Sahebpur Kamal while LJP president Ramvilas Paswan's brother and state party president Pashupati Kumar Paras is contesting from Alauli, and Deputy Speaker of state Assembly and RJD nominee Shakuni Choudhary is contesting from Tarapur.

While JD(U) is contesting from 25 seats, ally BJP is contesting in the remaining 17. RJD has fielded candidates in 26 and ally LJP in 16.

The Congress is contesting from all 42 constituencies while the BSP is in the fray from 40 seats. The CPI-ML (L) is contesting 15 seats, CPI (13) and CPI-M (six).

"We have made multi-tier security arrangements for holding free, smooth, peaceful and fair polls," Director General of Police Neelmani said.

Borders with Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh have been sealed and close ground and air surveillance are being provided to prevent disturbances during the poll, he said.

Special Task Force (STF) commandos and senior police officials would maintain air surveillance while patrols would be intensified. Patrolling would also be introduced between one polling station to another, he said.

The Phoneline Tracking Machine and Google Earth Systems would be used for keeping a watch on the movement of ultras in forests and hills, he said, adding, most of the booths in Maoist-hit constituencies would be manned by the Central para-military forces and armed police personnel from other states.

The DGP said over 48,000 poll personnel would be engaged in tomorrow's exercise and preventive measures have been taken against 64,205 persons in Patna, Bhagalpur, Naugachia, Banka, Munger, Jamui, Lakhisarai, Shekhpura, Khagaria, and Begusarai.

Polling at several booths in these constituencies would be webcast by BSNL, enabling the district electoral officer, chief electoral officer in Patna and Election Commission in New Delhi to watch live footages of the polling process, state Chief Electoral Officer S K Rakesh said.

"The Commission has rescheduled polling in the four Assembly constituencies in Bihar," Additional Chief Electoral Officer Kumar Anshumali said.

The polling in the four constituencies would now be held between 7 AM and 3 PM, instead of 7 AM and 5 PM as scheduled earlier, he said.

LS bypoll on Monday

A Lok Sabha by-election in Banka seat will be held simultaneously with the fourth phase Assembly poll.

Among the two contenders is Putul Singh (independent), the widow of former Union minister Digvijay Singh, whose candidature is supported by both Congress and NDA.

Former Union minister Jayprakash Narain Yadav of RJD is the second contender in the fray.

The bypoll was necessitated following the death of Digvijay Singh three months ago.

Lalu claims to be Bihar chief minister after Nov 24

RJD chief Lalu Prasad on Sunday claimed that he will take over the chief minister's position from Nitish Kumar in Bihar after the declaration of election results on November 24.

"The RJD-LJP alliance will pull off a spectacular victory in the constituencies which went to poll in the first three phases. We expect a similar response from the people in the remaining three phases," Prasad, the chief ministerial candidate of the combine said at an election rally in Biharsharif.

"Thus our victory has become certain and the results are a mere formality to hand a certificate to me to take oath as chief minister replacing Nitish Kumar after November 24," Prasad claimed.

Claiming that both the Centre and NDA in Bihar were responsible for the price rise, he claimed that Kumar's claim of development in Bihar was an 'eyewash'.

Alleging corruption in execution of development schemes he said according to a report, a woman had availed benefits under the Maternity Scheme for giving birth to four children in two months in Nalanda district. "Is this not corruption," he asked.

Nitish seeks second term to build upon development initiatives

In Jehanabad, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar urged the electorate to give a second term to the NDA to carry out various development and welfare initatives of his government.

"We have laid down the foundation structure for Bihar's development in the past years and need another term to accomplish various goals in this direction during the next term, if elected to power," he told an election meeting in Makdumpur (SC) assembly constituency for the JD(U) candidate Jitan Ram Manjhi.

Outlining various achievements of the NDA government, Kumar pointed out the improved law and order situation, communal amity and execution of welfare schemes during his tenure.

There has been peace and communal amity throughout the state to such an extent that the state government had to never enforce section 144 (prohibitory orders) anywhere in the state even once during its entire term, the chief minister said.

The state government also catered to the farm sector by investing Rs. 6000 crores in various projects to boost agriculture output in the state, Kumar said.

Sharad hits back Congress on central assistance

InPatna, dismissing Congress' claim that the UPA had doubled central assistance to Bihar, JD(U) chief Sharad Yadav asserted that the central funds had gradually declined during the past five years.

"The central assistance to Bihar has been on decline ever since the NDA led by Nitish Kumar came to power in November 2005," Yadav told a press conference.

Referring to Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and party General Secretary Rahul Gandhi's claim that the Centre had doubled the assistance to Bihar, he said, "There is no substance in their claim... It is aimed at misleading and misguiding the people at the time of elections."

With inputs from PTI

Do You Like This Story? Awesome! Now share the story Too bad. Tell us what you didn't like in the comments